Manchin to Reid: Lay off the Koch brothers

posted at 10:41 am on April 10, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

This may be one reason why Republicans could woo Joe Manchin to the GOP after the midterms. Would Angus King ever go on Fox to defend Charles and David Koch from Harry Reid’s asinine demagoguery? Doubtful, but the West Virginia Democrat did just that earlier today (video via the Free Beacon):

“People want jobs. You don’t beat up people. I mean, I don’t agree with their politics or philosophically, but, you know, they’re Americans, they’re doing— paying their taxes,” Manchin said on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends.”

“They’re not breaking the law. They’re providing jobs,” he added. …

“If you’re trying to rally the base, the bases have already been rallied. The right and left bases have been rallied,” Manchin said. “It’s us in the middle that have to start making something happen here in Washington to move this country forward.”

So far, Reid hasn’t taken Manchin’s advice. In fact, the Senate Majority Leader went on the Senate floor to announce that the upper chamber might be able to take its recess later today, and oh by the way did you know Koch money stinks?

Another campaign attack from Reid against Kochs: Koch money "stinks. … The two richest brothers in the world want to be richer."

National Journal’s Ron Fournier warns that Senate Democrats will pay a high price for Reid’s “lies” and demagoguery — and so will the media, if they don’t do a better job of pointing those out. “Shame on us” if that happens, says Fournier:

Shame on us if we in the media let him get away with this. First of all, his PAC has its own wealthy billionaires who are donating to him. Second of all, the ad is false, outright false. Representative Cassidy actually fought against the Koch brothers here — that’s not pointed out in the ad. The ad is a lie. Third, this is the third time in a row that Harry Reid’s PAC has had an ad that’s been labeled patently false by the Washington Post. He is making facts up. He is lying. Eventually it’s going to come around and get you. Even in this media environment we have now, I’ve got to believe that Stephen [F. Hayes of theWeekly Standard] is wrong and the Democrats will pay a high price for lying in these Senate ads. They’re lying.

That might be another good reason for Manchin to rethink his affiliation after the midterms.

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As a conservative, I am opposed to this call for decency. I say more of the same. For example, I never would have known the actual ranking of donations of various groups were it not for Senile Harry braying about the Koch Bros.

This hysterical meme is a gift that keeps on giving and I would remind everyone about two turncoats – Spector and Crist – before we start chasing Manchin’s skirt.

National Journal’s Ron Fournier warns that Senate Democrats will pay a high price for Reid’s “lies” and demagoguery — and so will the media, if they don’t do a better job of pointing those out.

Personally, I think Reid over-reached with his demonization of the Kochs. It’s goes to some sort of a joke when you can’t make a speech without making it the fault of the Kochs- be it campaign activity, global warming, or the Lindberg baby kidnapping (Bruno Richard Hauptmann was framed by the Kochs!)

Personally, I think Reid over-reached with his demonization of the Kochs. It’s goes to some sort of a joke when you can’t make a speech without making it the fault of the Kochs- be it campaign activity, global warming, or the Lindberg baby kidnapping (Bruno Richard Hauptmann was framed by the Kochs!)

Happy Nomad on April 10, 2014 at 10:55 AM</blockquote

Socialists REQUIRE a Demon to rail against, mostly to distract people from their failures.

This is one reason why Socialist Regimes are Reds, the streets run red with the blood of their victims.

I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.

They have to have an enemy. It’s the Harold Hill school of politics. Set up an enemy and tell voters only they can save them. These people are unscrupulous. They have no shame. I’m glad to see the Republicans are beginning to push back. If they say something dumb or something untrue hit back.

Proof that Democrats are growing more desperate to hold every possible senate seat.
There is no way Manchin, who has voted down the line for every piece of the Reid-Obama agenda, did this on his own. I am certain this tact got the nod of his fellow Democrats.

On every important issue, Manchin has been a reliable Democratic vote in the Senate. I always feel his TV appearances where he appears to be more moderate or conservative are just campaign propaganda to be used in West Virginia.

this is the third time in a row that Harry Reid’s PAC has had an ad that’s been labeled patently false by the Washington Post. He is making facts up. He is lying. Eventually it’s going to come around and get you. Even in this media environment we have now

…he’ll keep doing it…if the media environment hasn’t changed over what JugEars and Holder have done to the Constitution in the last year or so…it isn’t going to change the media environment for stupid shit that comes out of Harry’s orifices!

This may be one reason why Republicans could woo Joe Manchin to the GOP after the midterms.

Stop raising your hope so high that Republicans are going to win the Senate… First it is too difficult and second it is not an absolute requirement as the House is the most important thing to win and fortunately the Republicans are very highly likely to keep the House…

Here’s what happens…
GOP wins the Senate. Perhaps Manchin switches to GOP.
BUT…
Just like when Gorge W Bush was president with a GOP majority, “moderates” will receive profiles in courage for “bipartisan” votes like when McCain and other RINOs voted against making the Bush tax cuts permanent. After a series of betrayals by RINOs, Republican base voters will again become disheartened and the Democrats will retake the Senate in 2016.

Stop raising your hope so high that Republicans are going to win the Senate… First it is too difficult and second it is not an absolute requirement as the House is the most important thing to win and fortunately the Republicans are very highly likely to keep the House…

mnjg on April 10, 2014 at 11:13 AM

And so far, what has the eGOP done with control of the House?
If we take the Senate, that might open the door to some well deserved impeachments – if the eGOP had the guts to allow them to happen.

What I don’t understand is why the republicans want the Republican National Convention in Vegas, when it puts money in Nevada’s/Reid’s pocket and supports the very people who keep putting this amoeba in office. Ya, I get the deep pockets of Adelson but still…

Harry Reid owes his position to the money and muscle of big labor unions. He certainly is in no position to attack someone else for using their own money to influence politics. He claims his personal wealth came from making good investments, but he was steered into those by his political cronies. He’s as slimy as a slug and crooked as a side-winder.

What I don’t understand is why the republicans want the Republican National Convention in Vegas, when it puts money in Nevada’s/Reid’s pocket and supports the very people who keep putting this amoeba in office. Ya, I get the deep pockets of Adelson but still…

31giddyup on April 10, 2014 at 2:01 PM

Same goes for Denver – which is the only part of Colorado that keeps steering the state to the left.

Rather pathetic state of affairs when Ron Fournier and Joe Manchin are making more effective attacks on Harry Reid than the poobahs of the GOP.

rrpjr on April 10, 2014 at 11:26 AM

Anything the GOP says in attacking Reid will be routinely dismissed as “partisan politics” by Independents (whose voting choices are actually the target of Reid’s demagoguery, aside from riling the base) and so there is not always much value in making the attacks (which is not to argue they shouldn’t be made, just that they have little impact on Independents).

I assume he has some form of immunity given that his rants are usually delivered on the Senate floor. The man’s an insane coward anyways, but then the early onset of Alzheimer doesn’t help matters much…